The children have been delighted by their visit today by St. Nicholas and Ruprecht! Each child has received a special treat and personal message. We thank all our faculty and parents who worked so diligently to make this visit so special.

In German tradition, the benevolent St Nicholas is usually accompanied on his journeys by Knecht Ruprecht (Farmhand Ruprecht), who helps and watches out for the saint. It is Ruprecht who in historical narratives gives naughty children lumps of coal, instead of the sweets and gifts passed out by the saint.

All of our students learn German and Spanish starting in grade 1. The language programs are enriched in many ways. In order to expose our students and community to the Hispanic culture, we brought a wonderful dance presentation to the school on Friday, November 7th. About 30 dancers, under the direction of Luly del Real, danced gracefully. They filled the school gym with music and colors.

"The stories and accompanying artwork settle so deeply in the students that the pulse in the classroom is palpable. The students can't help but glance toward the front of the room. The true testament comes from the words and reactions of students when they enter the classroom. Their teacher has given them the gift of art. It is something they look forward to upon entering the classroom. A gift like this, that is given in love, will be received in love - regardless of the talent or skill level." chalkboarddrawing.org

This drawing is Joan of Arc. The class studied the changes that happened in Europe between the time of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Joan of Arc was able to join the French army to fight against England, which was not typical for a woman. She is an example of the many who had the courage to stand strongly in new ideas even though they were often considered heretics, and some lost their lives for their beliefs. Yet their ideas and courage helped create an atmosphere of change, new ideas, new innovations and new ways of seeing the world.

The middle school students recently studied combustion, and acids and bases. The students learned about geology and the formation of limestone. During their first chemistry block, they built a lime-kiln to make quick-lime, used in making mortar. This connected to history studies of ancient Rome and the Middle ages when many magnificent buildings were created.

They learned about chemical reactions and how this is connected to fire-fighting with a visit from parent, and local fireman Peter Dungjen. They finished with a visit to Oakland University's Chemistry Department where Department Chair, Dr. Arthur Bull, explained college studies and research connected to chemistry and also gave a lively demonstration.

Our 7th and 8th grades had a block about Eurasia last semester. Dzvinka Hayda, our Parent Child teacher, visited the classroom and told the students a story about two children growing up in Ukraine during the chaos following World War II. She described how parents were lost and families became separated during the social and economic disruption of war. She told about how one mother had to leave her children at an orphanage and then reclaim them as soon as she was able to find work to support them. At Dzvinka's invitation, the 7th and 8th graders collected useful items and made gift boxes for teenagers living in orphanages in Ukraine. The students chose the items with thoughtfulness, thinking about what would be not only practical, but also about what might be fun for these teens to receive from friends in the U.S. The photos and letters are from our new friends in Ukraine.

On August 27th families and founders of the school gathered with local dignitaries and the Rochester Chamber of Commerce to cut the ribbon to the renovated gym and kick off the 25th Anniversary of Oakland Steiner School.